


Dark Hearts at Play in the Moonlight

by Runeb19



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Established Relationship, Halloween, Horror, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-19
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2019-08-04 07:23:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16342355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Runeb19/pseuds/Runeb19
Summary: In the dancing shadows of a campfire, stories come to life. Witches scheme, goblins play, and monsters walk the Earth. But there is some truth in every tale, and some legends are, in fact, a warning of evil on it way.





	Dark Hearts at Play in the Moonlight

 

_There's a monster in the water._

 

_An abomination, with gills and lungs, scales and skin. A man who once walked this earth, just the same as you, but who crossed a powerful witch, and was condemned to live a life transformed._

 

_It lives under the waves, dormant but for one month a year, where it drags unsuspecting swimmers to a watery grave. And, should a night be watched by a full moon - just like tonight - it will touch land again, to stalk the shores around its prison, to catch fools who dared step into its land. To kill them._

 

_You’ll know it up close or at a distance, if you see its true form. Pale skin that never sees sunlight. Black, soulless eyes. The fins of a fish that adorn its head. And large, powerful hands, with which to grab and rend its prey._

 

_But you’ll never get to see it._

 

_For this witch is clever and resourceful. The monster obeys her, and brings her its victims, and in return, she disguises it, so that it may hunt more._

 

_Are there one too many trees in the forest?_

 

_Are you sure that's the wind at your back?_

 

_The monster has collected many trophies for its master over the years._

 

_It has already claimed one this night. How can you be sure…_

 

_That you won’t be next?_

 

“Aw, stuff it Reyes!” Jesse called, chucking a crumpled up paper towel at him over the fire. It fell short, and landed in the flames, quickly being consumed. “Lena’s gone for 5 minutes and now you’re saying she’s been eaten by some fish monster? That's a pretty lame scare coming from you.”

 

“Ah ah ah,” Gabe corrected, waving a finger at him. “The monster doesn’t _eat_ people, it takes them back to its witch.”

 

“Too many plot holes,” Genji chimed in, rolling his eyes. Gabe sat in a chair at one end of the fire, and the others sat across from him, Jesse on a log, Genji on the ground, leaning back against the log, and Hanzo in a different chair, doing his best to look bored with the proceedings.

 

“I mean,” Genji continued, “You can describe it, even though it’s always disguised? And why would the monster serve the witch that cursed him?”

 

“The witch cursed it to serve her, of course,” Gabe scoffed. “And the description comes from-”

 

“Look, I’ll give you credit for coming up with that on such short notice.” Jesse cut him off. “But we ain’t buying it, and we ain’t scared.”

 

Gabe shrugged. “Your funeral.”

 

“Where _is_ Lena, anyway?” Genji asked, the faintest hint of concern in his voice. “I mean, I know she went to use the restroom, but it's been too long, hasn’t it?”

 

“Perhaps she went exploring,” Hanzo answered, though he didn’t seem entirely convinced.

 

“More like she got lost,” Jesse said, rolling his eyes. “She’s just too scatterbrained to tell us she was going off to look around.”

 

“Probably,” Gabe agreed, and Jesse instantly narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

 

“Unless this is a setup.”

 

Gabe blinked in surprise, his expression one of perfect innocence. “A setup?”

 

“Yeah…” Jesse said, tone growing more suspicious. “She goes off and hides, and we get worried enough to start thinking about your stupid horror story. But you made one key mistake, Reyes!” Gabe arched an eyebrow at him. “You made the bad guy a fish monster! And those do not exist!”

 

“Even fish monsters that, very conveniently to the plot, are able to appear as totally normal humans?” Genji drawled, sarcasm coloring his tone.

 

“Even those,” Jesse said, with an air of finality. He stood up, dusting his legs off and stretching. “Now, prank or no prank, she _will_ be angry with us if we make the first round of s'mores without her. So I guess we’ll just have to be jump-scared.”

 

“Not waiting for Jack is one thing, but you aren’t gonna wait for _Ana_ before starting s’mores?” Genji asked, wide-eyed.

 

“Well, it's only the first round,” Jesse said defensively. “We’ve got plenty. And they’re bringing their own food too.”

 

“We’re already camping at a haunted lake, and you want to make Ana mad on top of it all?” Gabe shook his head. “Jesse Mccree, you are a brave soul.”

 

“The lake ain’t haunted,” Jesse scoffed. “And you’re trying way too hard now.”

 

“I’m being serious, Jesse. This is where my cousin disappeared, after all.”

 

“What cousin?” Genji asked, and Gabe shrugged.

 

“I don’t know. After the witch had her, she wiped everyone’s memory-”

 

“Shut _up_ already!” Hanzo snapped, standing up. “We’ll go in pairs to find Lena and come back and eat. Your stories are simply annoying now.”

 

“Rude,” Gabe muttered, offended. “But fine. You two go west, Jesse and I’ll go east. If we meet up on the other side of the lake, something has gone horribly wrong.”

 

“Agreeable,” Hanzo said.

 

“Sucks to be you Jesse,” Genji laughed.

 

“Probably, yeah,” Jesse sighed.

 

“Glad we’re all on board. Come on already.” Gabe grumbled.

 

* * *

 

 

“I’m disappointed in you this year, Reyes.” Jesse said, carefully picking his way through the undergrowth.

 

“Yeah? Why’s that?” Gabe asked. Jesse could see the light from his friend’s flashlight wavering up and down in front of him.

 

“I mean, yeah, jumpscares get people even when they know they’re coming, so you might get a yell from me, but that's it? Half-baked spooky stories and Lena jump-scaring me? You’ve done better. I figured you'd setup some elaborate prank since you came down early. So far the biggest surprise was you beating us here, since you ditched Jack, apparently. We didn't make it here till nightfall, you had plenty of time to do something crazy. But spending it all thinking up some story about a fishman? Come on.”

 

“Maybe you're wrong.”

 

“How d'ya figure?”

 

“I mean you're just wrong, Lena isn't hiding anywhere. She's missing.”

 

“Oh please,” Jesse scoffed. “If you thought for a second Lena was actually missing, you wouldn't be _nearly_ so calm. You know exactly where she is.”

 

“Maybe both are true. But don't worry. You'll see her again, soon enough.”

 

“Ok, you're going overboard on the creepiness-” as he spoke, the light from Gabriel's flashlight disappeared.

 

“What, do your batteries have dramatic timing now?” Jesse asked, turning around to face… nothing. There was no sign of his friend at all, or that he'd even been there. There was just the trees.

 

“Alright… neat trick,” Jesse said, sweeping the trees around him with the light of his flashlight. “They teach you to do that on the army?” He asked, raising his voice slightly. There was no way he would have missed the noise of a man of Gabriel's size jumping into a tree, but if he'd dropped to the ground…

 

As he thought it, he turned his flashlight to the ground, backing up slowly as he did it.

 

“Alright Gabe, you got me… I'm a little creeped out now.” He called, still backing up slowly as he scanned the area around him. Could they have rigged some kind of contraption in the trees? As he thought it, he turned his flashlight upwards, but could make out no glint of any wires or machinery. And the trees simply weren't that thick for someone to have just disappeared into them...

 

“Ok, I give up… you can scare me now…” He said, turning in a slow circle, but still seeing nothing. “How much do you enjoy dragging out the scare, man? I’m gonna start to worry about you.”

 

There was loud _snap_ from behind him, and he spun around, flashlight coming up to reveal Gabriel, an arm over his eyes, as though he were trying to block the light. Under his foot was what looked to be a fallen tree branch, now snapped in two. It would've taken a lot of force to do something like that.

 

“Geez, man, what's up with the magician act? That gonna be your costume this year?” He lowered the flashlight slightly, so it wasn't pointing right into his friends face. “I'd say sorry for blinding you, but you _are_ being a creep.”

 

Gabe lowered his arm slowly, to stare at Jesse.

 

His eyes were glowing a dark red.

 

“W-woah! How're ya doing that? Got some kind of goggles on?” Although he couldn't make out any kind of object from where he stood.

 

“You need to calm down Jesse.” Gabe's voice came out oddly flat, and toneless, but with a strange gurgling noise, almost like he was speaking through a filter.

 

“The hell - how are you doing that!?”

 

Gabe began to walk toward him slowly, lurching forward, one foot at a time.

 

“You followed me… for so far…”

 

“What are you… are… are you…” Jesse couldn't speak. The air seemed to be being drawn from his lungs, his strength being drained. His flashlight fell to the ground.

 

“It's all right, Jesse,” Gabe said as he got closer, his glowing eyes seeming to fill Jesse’s vision as their color slowly darkened to an inky black.

 

“Just… relax.”

 

* * *

 

Ana shut her radio off irritably as the last working station switched to static. She didn't remember reception being so bad out by the lake, but it had been some time since she'd been out this way. Perhaps it didn't see enough traffic for people to bother to maintain the radio towers. She hoped it wouldn't be the same for cell service.

 

Eichenwalde, however, as the tourist trap the old castle town had become, had strong cell phone and radio signals, and she'd have thought they would extend to the forest lake.

 

She was overthinking things. She didn't have enough knowledge of how the systems worked to be overly skeptical.

 

She found herself wishing they had simply stayed in town, and ignored Gabriel and Jesse's insistence on camping. Eichenwalde always held a strange nostalgic feel to her, as well as Jack and a few of the others, but Gabriel could never wait to be out of it. They had agreed that his obvious discomfort outweighed their feelings on the matter, and settled on camping outside the city limits, in a rarely used plot by the lake in the Black Forest.

 

Resigned to traveling the rest of the trip around the lake to the campsite in silence, Ana leaned forward slightly, focusing on the road ahead. Plenty of animals called the forest home, and she'd be more likely to miss one this late at night.

 

She also would've possibly missed the petite brunette, jumping up and down on the side of the road, waving her arms frantically in an attempt to get Ana's attention.

 

She pulled to a stop on the shoulder off the road, rolling her passenger side window down as the girl ran up to her.

 

“Lena!” Ana said once she was within earshot. “What are you doing this far from the campsite? You're practically on the opposite side of the lake!”

 

“I got lost!” The brunette painted, flushed with exertion and embarrassment. “I stepped away from camp for just a minute and - you know I have a terrible sense of direction!”

 

Ana rolled her eyes at the energetic girl. “You managed to walk the exact wrong way for so long you made it all the way out here?”

 

“Apparently,” the girl answered, ducking her head. Her embarrassment was in direct competition with her good humor about the situation.

 

“Well, I found you. Now get in. No sense in walking all the way back.”

 

“Well, um, actually,” Lena hesitated, glancing behind her. “I found a deer. Hurt, bad enough its not walking. I know you work with people, not animals, but…” she trailed off, and Ana sighed, turning the car off. She couldn't disappoint the girls innocent request.

 

“Alright, alright, I understand,” Ana said, getting out of the car and walking around to the back. “Keep in mind, though, the nicest thing to do might be to put the animal out of its misery.” She opened the trunk of her car and reached in to grab her rifle.

 

“I know…” Lena said sadly as Ana closed the trunk. “But I can't just leave it. One way or another, we can help it, and then get back to the guys. I'm sure they'll help me forget about it.”

 

Ana smiled and patted the young woman's shoulders. “That's right. And they're all here, then?”

 

“Yeah, we're just waiting on Jack now. Come on. It's not that far into the trees.”

 

* * *

 

“Leeeeenaaaaa!” Genji called, turning in a slow circle while he walked.

 

“I can't help but feel we're following her,” Hanzo grumbled.

 

“Whaddya mean?” Genji asked.

 

“I mean she's not the type to stay in one place when she's lost, regardless of what good sense dictates.” The elder brother replied irritably. “At this rate, we'll end up doing a full circuit of the lake only to find she reached camp before us.”

 

“Should we go back then?” Genji suggested. “I mean, we're about halfway around the lake. If she didn't hear me, she's probably much closer to Gabe and Jesse.”

 

Hanson came to a stop, Genji mirroring him, and he considered the suggestion. “We have come a ways…” After a few seconds thought, Hanzo brought his hands up to his mouth, took a deep breath, and bellowed, at the top of his lungs, “We are returning to camp! Meet us there!”

 

Genji arched an eyebrow at him as he rolled his shoulders.

 

“There,” Hanzo said, sounding rather proud of his idea. “If they are anywhere nearby, they heard that. If not, they have likely already found Lena and returned to the campsite.”

 

“Assuming Lena was ever actually lost in the first place,” Genji grumbled as they turned around and resumed walking. “You'd tell me if I was the one getting pranked, right?”

 

“No,” Hanzo said shortly.

 

“I suppose that's fair.”

 

“I will tell you that if you are, I play no part in it.”

 

“I think I actually believe you,” Genji said, looking up at the sky above them. “Jesse seemed pretty resigned to his fate, but that could've just been acting… maybe they're aiming to get both of us?”

 

“It would not be the most ambitious project they've ever attempted,” Hanzo said, though he sounded skeptical. “I am inclined to believe, however, that Lena simply got herself lost, and created trouble for all of us.”

 

“Troublemaker is more her nickname than mine at this point,” Genji agreed. “I guess we just wait to see if we hear a girly shriek from the other end of the lake. Then we'll know it was Jesse they were after.”

 

Hanzo snorted, and they continued on in companionable silence. After a few minutes, however, Hanzo spoke up.

 

“Does the forest seem… quiet, to you?”

 

Genji frowned, considering the question.

 

“Well… yes? But isn't that the point? We came here to get from city lights and noise.”

 

“But I have seen no animal life around,” Hanzo explained. “A few birds overhead, but no rodents or deer, or anything of the like.”

 

“Well it's nighttime,” Genji said earnestly. “Most animals would be asleep. And besides, maybe we scared them off with all our yelling.”

 

“If we had scared them off, we would have heard them,” Hanzo replied, frowning. “But we were far enough away from the campsite that we should've seen _something_. I cannot see any. Can you?”

 

“No…” Genji said, a feeling of unease creeping up his spine. “But… it'd noticeable if they were dead. Nothing could kill a forests worth of critters without leaving a mark.”

 

“That is true…” Hanzo said, coming to a stop, Genji slowing down to stand alongside him. “But animals are more sensitive to matters of the arcane than humans. If they were scared enough, they might've all gone to ground.”

 

Genji swallowed nervously. Their family had a history a history of interacting with the supernatural, and it was a topic they avoided speaking of among their friends, for fear of being mocked.

 

“It could be nothing,” Genji said, trying to convince himself more than anything. “It could just be coincidence. Or maybe we just weren't paying attention at first, and scared them off.”

 

Hanzo stared ahead of them, as though he were trying to see through them.

 

“I hope that is the case,” he said quietly. “But I think it would be best if we returned to camp quickly, and quietly.”

 

Genji swallowed again, shook himself, and nodded.

 

* * *

 

The fire was still glowing bright where they had left it. No one had thought to extinguish it before leaving, as they hadn't planned to be gone for very long. That seemed to have been a mistake.

 

The campsite was deserted.

 

The cabin was dark and quiet, seemingly undisturbed, given the lack of light inside. The fires glow, usually warm and inviting, now seemed foreboding, casting eerie shadows over the walls the cabin, and the ground around the campsite.

 

Hanzo and Genji crept among the trees, doing their best to stay hidden from any potential observers. The biggest advantage they had was that any plotter would not expect their caution. Their disadvantage was that they had unwittingly announced their intentions to return to any potential eavesdropper.

 

They believed now, that there was foul play afoot. The air seemed charged with malignant energy, and whether that was real or imagined, it set them on edge, and they took it as a warning. They communicated from behind different trees, in a mix of sign language and old hand signals they had been taught when they were young.

 

 _I see no movement_. Hanzo signaled.

 

 _I see no movement._ Genju signaled back. Gabe's story came back into Genji's mind. It had seemed strange. They had dismissed it at the time, but perhaps…

 

 _Do you think Gabe's involved?_ He signaled, unsure how to communicate 'story’.

 

Hanzo seemed to understand, and signaled back.

 

_Possibly._

 

Then, after a moment, he signaled again.

 

 _I'm going to retrieve my weapon. Stay hidden_.

 

Genji signaled his understanding, and Hanzo slipped away among the trees, going further away from the campsite so he could take a long arc that would increase his chances of going undetected.

 

The hand signals weren't great at communicating specifics, but Genji knew Hanzo was referring to the bow and arrows he had brought, on the off-chance he felt like hunting. What he was planning to do with them, Genji didn't want to think about.

 

He stayed put, reminding himself that any movement was more visible than no movement, and he had better odds of remaining undetected if he didn't move.

 

It was hard to communicate that to his fried nerves, however, and the stress of the situation turned seconds into minutes, and minutes, seemingly like hours. The tension was draining as he waited for his brother to reappear, eyes constantly scanning the treeline for sight of Hanzo-or worse, something else.

 

Then, out of nowhere, a horrible chill ran down his spine, and the air seemed to whisper around him, before a woman's voice seemed to speak directly to his mind.

 

_“My, aren't we a clever boy? Not too bright, though. If you understood anything, you should've simply ran away.”_

 

Genju stood up, spine stiff, heart pounding. He fought the urge to step around the tree. He had been discovered-but that didn't mean he should betray himself with frantic action.

 

_Where is Hanzo? Do they know he's here? What if-_

 

“Genji! Hanzo! Where'd you two get to?” It was Gabriel's voice, coming from the campsite.

 

Genji could hear his heartbeat, loud in his chest, as he fought off panic. Was this a trap, meant to fool him? Or was his friend about to become a victim, in order to prompt Genji to action?

 

“C'mon ya Shitmada's! We heard ya yell, and here we are!” That was Jesse's voice, adopting a tone of playful condemnation, but as he heard it, Genji felt a cold hand grip his heart. He closed his eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath. These were not his friends. And that meant there was likely only one fate that had befallen them.

 

Slowly, he reached into his back pocket, where he'd concealed a hunting knife. He tested it's balance in his hand, aware that the imposters were likely advancing on him-the witch clearly knew where he was. Wherever Hanzo was, whether he was close enough to help or not, Genji was left with no choice.

 

“Alright!” He called. “I'm coming out!” And slowly, deliberately, he stepped out from behind the tree to face the forms of his friends. They stood in front of the campfire, their faces concealed in shadow.

 

“What, with your hands up?” The one imitating Jesse joked. “What's with that?”

 

“And what's the knife?” Gabriel's copy asked, frowning as he caught sight of the weapon in his hand.

 

Genji didn't say anything, facing them down. There was a slight incline between them, and they had to look up ever so slightly to see them. The knife swayed back and forth in his hand ever so slightly.

 

“Come on, Genji,” Gabe's voice softened as he took a step forward. “Put the knife down.”

 

But even as he spoke, Genji was drawing his arm to back to throw.

 

But he was too slow.

 

The _crack_ of gunfire echoed across the clearing as Genji let out a cry of pain as the bullet entered his leg in the upper thigh. He dropped as he fell to one knee, gasping with pain.

 

“Sorry partner,” Jesse said, an evil grin on his face. “Looks like I'm the faster draw here.”

 

Genji took deep, desperate breaths, trying to gather himself as he scrambled blindly for the knife. Just as he'd found it, however, a heavy combat boot came down on top of the blade.

 

“Now now,” Gabe's voice said softly. “Let's play nice.”

 

Genji, panting, looked up into a face much like his friends, save for the eyes.

 

_Black, soulless eyes._

 

“Don't you dare…” Genji gasped, “address me with that tone or face.”

 

“Aw, come on, be reasonable.” Jesse's double said. “You think this look just happens? Nah, it's a lot of work. And we still gotta look pretty, ya know?”

 

Genju glared at the fake, who grinned.

 

“That's a lot of hate in your eyes for your best friend, Genji.”

 

“Enough talk,” 'Gabe’ said, reaching down and grabbing Genji by the scruff of his shirt. “The brother obviously knows. We gain nothing by leaving him alive.

 

Before any further action could be taken, there was another resounding _crack_ and 'Gabe’ let out a cry of pain and jerked back, releasing Genji as he reached for his now bloody shoulder.

 

“Get away from them, Shimada!” A woman bellowed, and as adrenaline flowed through his system, Genji grabbed his knife and turned, running up the hill and toward his savior.

 

Ana Amari stood, rifle in hand, blood coating the side of her face where her right eye used to be. Regardless of the injury, she fired again, forcing Jesse's double to dive out of the way as the bullets kicked up dirt.

 

“Into the trees!” Ana called starting to back up as Genji came level with her. Before the creatures could recover, Ana turned, and the two of them began to run full pelt into the woods.

 

They hadn't made it more then a few feet, however, when a massive red energy barrier appeared in front of them in a flash of light. They stumbled backwards, staring up at the barrier, dumbstruck. On the other side, visible through the shine of the barrier, was a dark red smoke, which coalesced into a form resembling a human woman, but lit with inner fire, and covered in red scales from head to toe.

 

“So close,” the creature said, walking up to the barrier. “Such a shame.”

 

“A shame indeed,” Another woman's voice from behind them, this one familiar to Genji, agreed.

 

They turned to see a woman materialize in front of them, flanked by Gabriel and Jesse's mimics. She had pale blue skin covered in markings, silver hair, and pupiless white eyes, and she wore a flowing purple robe.

 

“Truly, it was a valiant effort,” She said, clapping her hands sardonically. “For mere mortals it was the best you could do. Though I've heard your past performances were better. But that is hardly worth discussing.”

 

Ana raised her rifle and pulled the trigger. It clicked. No bullet fired.

 

“No no no~” a singsong voice said, and on Ana's right side, a woman seemed to materialize out of nowhere. She had dark skin, wore a white coat, and had grey hair with a single shock of white in the middle. “That doesn't work anymore. I saw to that. You hit me pretty hard, chicka, but my friend got you better, didn't she? You hesitated to shoot me because I looked like your friend. That was a mistake.”

 

Genji moved to throw the knife at her, but a shot rang out from a tree to his left, a bullet tearing through his hand, sending the knife spinning into the brush, lost for the last time.

 

As Genji gripped his hand and yelled in pain, the other woman moved, faster than Ana could hope to react, kicking the rifle from her hand before slamming her elbow into Ana's injured eye. Ana cried out in pain, her knees buckling, and she fell to the ground. The woman picked up the rifle and walked a few paces away from the injured pair, ejecting a bullet from the chamber before turning around, and miming firing the rifle at the injured pair.

 

“It works again, just so you know,” the woman said, apparently amused.

 

Genji blinked away reflex tears and looked over to where the shot had come from, and could make out the form of another woman in the trees, sniper rifle in her hand.

 

“Now, if that's enough resisting,” the witch-obviously the leader-said, taking a step forward. “There's no need for this to be any messier.” And then, she disappeared, leaving behind a few wisps of shadow, as an arrow slammed into the ground where she had been standing.

 

Genji had a sinking feeling in his gut as he saw Hanzo, back to the cabin, look in bewilderment at the spot where the witch had been, as all eyes turned to him. He never saw the witch materialize behind him, nor did he see her create a dark orb in her hand, holding it up behind him as tendrils of energy connected to his body.

 

His surprised expression turned to pain, and as they watched, he dropped the bow and crumpled to the ground. He didn't stir.

 

Genji closed his eyes and looked away as the witch dematerialized, and appeared in front of them again.

 

“And that leaves one to go.” The witch said. “You have earned my respect, mortals. I am known as Moira, and I have a very specific goal here.” She snapped her fingers, and the forms of Gabriel and Jesse seemed to shimmer, and melt away. Where Gabriel had stood there was now the monster that had been described to them, large and fishlike, sporting a bruise on its shoulder where Ana had shot it. The bullets hadn't even torn skin. Jesse, however, still stood, but his skin now had the characteristic grey tone of undeath, and his eyes were a solid, sickly green.

 

“Dammit,” Genji murmured staring down at his own bloody hand.

 

“This is...about...Gabriel…” Ana gasped. “Why...are you doing...this?”

 

“A perceptive woman,” Moira said. “The sad thing is, my dear, all of you are mere casualties. I need only one to bend his will. None of you were necessary, but all of you were in the way. I seek to restore greatness, and to take control of it. And for that,” she took a half step forward, and extended a hand toward them.

 

“I'm afraid you have to die.”

 

* * *

 

Jack leaned against the window rested his chin on the palm of his hand, staring out at the trees as they passed by. He heard a sigh from the driver, and decided to ignore it.

 

“Boy scouts should like camping,” Gabe grumbled. “Why do you have to be such a mood killer?”

 

“It's less me and more the fact that its nearly midnight and we aren't even there yet.” Jack shot back. “Because you just couldn't _bear_ to stay in town.”

 

“I've told you, I don't like that town,” Gabriel said, plaintively. “I can't explain it. It just bothers me. Besides, we'll be sleeping in the cabin, and you aren't driving. At worst, you're staying up late.” His hand found Jack's leg. “And you aren't exactly new to that.”

 

“If you think you're getting _anything_ tonight…” Jack growled, and Gabe removed his hand, holding it up in the air.

 

“Don't shoot officer, I'm just trying to spend time with you. Which we never get to do anymore.”

 

“Inviting five other people along is a funny way to spend time with just me.”

 

“Harrumph all you like, _carino_ , but I know you'll have fun. You always do.” They rode in silence for a while longer, before Gabe tried again. “Look, I know your job is important, but it really has been a long time since we've done something like this. I was gonna wait to say, but-I told everyone else this was only going to be a two-day trip.” At that, Jack looked at him in surprise.

 

“Really?”

 

Gabriel smiled softly at him, before returning his attention to the road.

 

“Yeah,” he said. “We get to spend good time with good friends, and then we get a whole day, just to ourselves, away from everything and everyone. So...cheer up, ok? And I _promise_ I'll let you get some sleep tonight.

 

Jack smiled at him. “Oh, alright. Sorry I'm grumpy.”

 

Gabe waved at a hand at him, smirking.

 

“Jack, it's our _sixth_ anniversary. I think I've figured out that missing sleep makes you grumpy by now.” Jack socked him in the arm and they both started to laugh, before the noise died in their throats as the car rounded the bend and the campsite came into view.

 

“Oh my god!” Jack exclaimed. “Is it on fire!?”

 

The entire site seemed to be lit up with an orange glow, obscuring everything else.

 

“How did we not see that over the trees?” Gabe asked, pulling over to the roadside.

 

“I don't know, but we need to make sure everyone's safe!” Gabe didn't need to voice his agreement, both of them getting out of the car, and running together toward the flame.

 

* * *

 

The Summoner's portal opened noiselessly, and she stepped through, followed by the Sorceress.

 

The Witch awaited them, sitting on a tree stump in the ancient courtyard, broom propped up next to her. The Summoner inclined her head in greeting, which the Witch returned, before turning her attention to the grey and white haired Sorceress.

 

“Do you have them?” She asked plainly.

 

“I do.” The Sorceress replied, reaching into her white robes and pulling out a glowing purple stone. She pressed her finger the center, and a web of purple lines extended from it, each ending in a circle, which contained a flickering yellow-white orb.

 

“The Banshee cares not for their fate. She feels the mortals are beneath her notice.” The Summoner said. “Whether she noticed them being taken or not, she will not care.”

 

“I'm pretty good, even if I haven't been at this for very long,” The Sorceress said confidently. “I don't think she knows.”

 

“Excellent,” the Witch said. “It was good of you to confide in me. His rage on awakening will be terrible. With these, we can barter our survival, and better.”

 

Slowly, one by one, the purple circles opened, freeing the orbs, which then floated slowly toward the Witch's outstretched hands.

 

“I may not know this King, but I know my cousin.” The Sorceress commented, watching the process with interest. “If he loses Jack, I'm not sure the rest of these will matter.”

 

When all the orbs had gathered in her hand, the Witch brought her other hand up, the orbs now floating in the space between them, and she guided them toward the center of her chest, where they seemed to enter her being in a flash of light. She lowered hands when it was done, and addressed the Sorceress.

 

“The breadth of His powers are difficult to comprehend, but even in the worst-case scenario, we can wait for his rationality to return.”

 

“And in the meantime, that upstart Banshee and her pet monster will burn,” the Summoner chimed in.

 

The Witch nodded. “That she calls herself a witch is an insult in and off itself. She will serve her purpose, and then be no more. The Spider may serve us-but the creature must go.”

 

The Sorceress returned the stone to her pocket.

 

“Then we should get good seats, no?”

 

* * *

 

The campsite was not on fire, per say, but rather than the meager campfire they had been expecting, there was a massive bonfire, in a deep stone pit neither of them recalled being there the last time they had camped out here.

 

In front of the fire, there was a small stone altar, with a wide half circle in front of a stone bin, and beyond that, sat, bizarrely, a jack-o-lantern.

 

“What the fuck?” Jack asked, voicing both of their thoughts. They exchanged a glance, before taking a cautious step forward. As they did so, the ground underneath them began to shake, and behind them, it gave way, crumbling away in a wide strip. Jack began to lose his balance, and Gabriel's arm shot out to grab him, pulling him close and holding on as they waited for the shaking to stop.

 

It finally did, and there was now a chasm behind them, several feet wide, and stretching off into the woods on either side. No bottom was visible, and even if they could make the jump, they were both struck with the same feeling the land on the other side wasn't the most stable.

 

“What the fuck…” Gabriel said quietly, not releasing Jack. For once, his husband didn't ask him to, instead wrapping one arm around Gabe's midsection. This wasn't some foe they could grapple with. Whatever was going on was clearly out of their depth, and it was frightening.

 

They stood, the chasm behind them, the bonfire in front of them, for several seconds, just holding each other, before Gabe finally said,

 

“I guess they want us to go further in.”

 

“What if we just stay here?” Jack asked quietly, squeezing Gabe's side.

 

“At best, dehydrate and die.” Gabe answered bluntly.

 

“Thanks hun.”

 

They shared a shaky smile, before Gabe leaned down and kissed him. Jack leaned into it, turning it into a deep, passionate affair, and when they broke apart, they met each others eyes.

 

“I love you,” Gabe said quietly.

 

“I love you too,” Jack responded. He took a half-step away from Gabe, before taking his hand with his own, and they moved forward into the camp.

 

As they did, a dark shadow coalesced in front of the fire, some 6 or 7 feet in the air, taking the form of a woman, silhouetted against the flames, with blue skin and white eyes.

 

“Welcome,” she intoned.

 

“What is this!?” Gabe demanded, his grip tightening on Jack's hand.

 

“A glorious day!” The woman proclaimed. “The return of a ruler, the resumption of your duties! I am Moira O'Deorain, and I am here to lift you from the ignominy of humanity that you have suffered in for so many incarnations.” She gazed down at them. “And now look at you. The man that sealed your fate stands beside you. It is an insult.”

 

“What are you talking about?” Jack asked, bewildered.

 

The woman looked down at him distastefully, before returning her gaze to Gabriel.

 

“Centuries ago, in these woods, a mad human raised an army to retake the castle at Eichenwalde. In his pursuit of powerful allies, he unwittingly brought together beings beyond his own power, and awoke yet one other. You are the reincarnation of the great Reaper, the King of Monsters. A fiery spirit with no head, who wielded incredible powers, and one that should've been immortal.”

 

“No head!?” Gabe exclaimed.

 

“ _Should've_ been immortal?” Jack asked. They exchanged a brief look, before returning their attention to Moira.

 

“You could materialize a body as you wished, but forgoing the head struck fear into mortal hearts.” Moira explained. “And while I don't know how, you became bound to a Witch in these woods, and when she was defeated, so were you, your soul returned to a mortal coil, and you have been reincarnated as a mere human ever since.”

 

Unwilling to deny the main thrust of her story, given the circumstances, Gabe tried a different tactic.

 

“If we were so powerful, how were we defeated?”

 

“A flawed approach, as a result of allying with a mere human. 4 individuals came together to fight you. An archer, a gunslinger, an alchemist, and-” she paused to turn her gaze to Jack. “A soldier.”

 

Gabriel made the connection, and felt the blood drain from his face. “Our friends…” He said quietly, before he shouted at her. “What did you do to our friends!?”

 

“They were not your 'friends’,” Moira said distastefully. “They were your enemies, and ones that never should've earned the title. When your true power is returned, humans will be beneath your notice. Still, if you are, in your temporary human weakness, concerned…” she waved a hand, and two figures that had been concealed by the firelight stepped forward. One was a monster-some sort of fish human-but the other…

 

“Jesse,” Jack gasped, as the man's features became visible. He was clearly dead, but still walking.

 

“You _bitch_!” Gabe snarled.

 

“Now now, there's no need to be rude.” Moira sounded bored. “It won't matter in a minute. All you need to do is put your head in that circle, and allow me to complete the ritual.”

 

“And why the _hell_ would I do that!?” Gabe demanded.

 

“Simple,” Moira said, and extended a hand toward Jack. A single tendrils of dark energy sprang up between them, and Jack shouted in pain, knees giving way as Gabe moved to support him.

 

“Alright, alright!” Gabe bellowed. “I get it!”

 

Moira released the connection, smirking.

 

Jack was on his knees, shaking and sweating, doubled over as he tried to regain control over himself. Gabe dropped to one in knee beside him, concerned, before glaring up at Moira.

 

“If I do this, what's to stop you from just killing him?”

 

“Gabe…” Jack gasped. “Don't…”

 

Moira's smirk deepened, and she dematerialized, before reappearing several feet from the pair of them.

 

“That is rather simple,” she said. “We simply make a contract. A binding, magical contract. I swear not to bring harm to the man, and you-”

 

“Let you control me like you said that other witch did.” Gabriel snarled. Moira smiled.

 

“And I'll just bet that's what happened the first time,” Gabe growled.

 

But then, too late, he felt Jack's hand on the small of his back, grabbing the gun he kept concealed there. Before he could react, Jack pulled the gun, leaning away from him and bringing it up under his own chin.

 

“Jack, _no!”_ Gabe cried. Moira leaned forward too, shock evident on her features as well.

 

“The only thing worse than you being turned into a monster,” Jack said, meeting his gaze. “Is you being a monster controlled by someone like her. She killed all of our friends. What kind of life would that be for either of us!?”

 

“But-no! Jack, not like this!”

 

Moira glared at the both of them.

 

 _Can't you shoot that gun out of his hand!?_ She thundered telepathically to the Spider. _I need him!_

 

Distracted, she didn't notice the curious expression that had come over Gabriel's face.

 

After a long pause, the Spider responded.

 

_You need him. I do not._

 

There was the telltale _bang_ of a gunshot, and Moira watched, in slow motion, as the bullet traveled past her, and tore through Jack Morrison's throat.

 

“NO!!” She screamed. “That was my chance, my only chance to-” She stopped mid-sentence. Jack had keeled over, a pool of his own blood slowly expanding from his body, but Gabriel wasn't next to him. She felt a rush of magic from her side, and turned to see Gabriel, kneeling at the altar, the runes carved into the sides burning with power. It was then, when it was much too late, that she understood.

 

“You bitch!” She screamed helplessly at the sky. “You're supposed to be dead! You can't get in my way like this! Not again!” Jesse's body crumbled to the ground, the magic animating it neatly severed while Moira raged.

 

“I hate you!” She screamed. “I hate you! I hate you! I hate-”

 

Her words were drowned out as Gabriel's body erupted in a massive pillar of flame, the bonfire feeding into it until it was an all-consuming torrent, mere inches from where the Banshee stood, shielding herself from the embers.

 

Finally, the fire dissipated, and in the epicenter, at the center of the scorched earth there He stood.

 

A long, shadowy cloak, lit by a raging inner fire. And in place of a head, a carved Jack-o-lantern, grinning wickedly.

 

“Attack!” She ordered her monster, knowing that the Summoner and the Sorceress would block any attempts at escape. The monster jumped into the air, drawing a powerful fist back to punch at the Pumpkin King. The King caught it, effortlessly, and stretched out his other hand, blasting a gout of flame through its midsection, before tossing its corpse aside, and stalking towards Moira, unfazed.

 

“No!” She said, flinging an orb of dark energy at it. It passed through the King's body without any effect. She began to backpedal, desperately flinging magic at the King in hopes that something would slow it. “No!” She cried again.

 

“No more hostages,” The voice emanating from the Pumpkin King said. “No more bargaining.”

 

“You can't! I don't deserve this! I don't-”

 

The Pumpkin King reached and grabbed her throat, choking her as he lifted her off the ground.

 

“No more mercy.”

 

* * *

 

The Witch lighted down beside the Pumpkin King, who was cradling Jack's body in his arms.

 

“I didn't put his life in danger, the first time. I saved it, at your request. He was a hunter you greatly admired, and had fallen to bad fortune. Perhaps, even then, you had some previous connection, as you agreed to my terms without hesitation. The distinction may matter little, but it exists.”

 

“Why must you bother me, Witch?” The King asked, not moving. “If you will not help, leave me be.”

 

“You say that, yet you make no request of me.”

 

“He didn't want me to be controlled.” Was the simple reply.

 

“I see. Miraculous, how much human emotion remains in you. But I have seen much of you two, in the time since I reformed myself. It is, perhaps, not so surprising.”

 

“What is your point?” The King's voice was not the best as projecting emotion, but even still, it sounded pained.

 

“I could not revive him, even were you to ask. The domain of souls is fickle, and his soul belongs to another. One whose power, in this interest, trumps my own. I could have revived him, in some fashion, except that he has already given himself to you, and you hold power over souls as well.”

 

“Are you saying…”

 

“Something of him lingers in the air. I can lend you some minor assistance. But bare this in mind. You are eternal, now. Should you bind him in this manner, he shall be too. Will he forgive you?”

 

The King looked down the at the body down in his arms.

 

“Why didn't the Banshee reanimate the others?” He asked.

 

“She could only puppeteer one body at a time. Their souls were out of her reach.” She held out a hand, and it began to glimmer with the yellow-white glow of a soul orb. “But they are not beyond ours.”

 

“So what say you, King of Monsters? Do your friends pass on? Or do they remain by your side?”

 

* * *

 

**And so it was the Pumpkin King's court was reconvened after centuries of absence. Ghouls, Demons, Witches and Warlocks come together under the moon, to feast, make merry, and terrorize fools for sport.**

 

**The Witch of the Wilds has a long memory. Her loss at the hands of mortals humbled her, and she planned, schemed, and prepared, to ensure that those foes would never stand against her again. For now, they are not her foes, but friends and allies, to stand beside her. She is the tether of souls, and will see them remain, for as long as they wish.**

 

**The Pumpkin King, the King of Monsters, has no designs on the world. He has what he needs by his side for eternity to come. Let monsters play tricks and pranks. They do no harm.**

 

**So when you think you see a ghoul or goblin among us, they might just be real, but you have nothing to fear. The truly dangerous ones are pacified, and content.**

 

**A happy Hallows Eve for us all. Humans…**

 

**And Monsters.**

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, and comments are always appreciated!


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